Culture Flash!

Rob Williams

The city of Austin Cultural Arts Division has moved up in the world – literally. As of Friday, Aug. 6, the city office has relocated from the eighth floor of One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Rd., to the 11th floor, #1100. From now on, if you need information or assistance on all things cultural in our community, that's where you need to go. Well, until the new City Hall opens, that is. Then the Cultural Arts Division will be packing up yet again and moving into its new – and presumably permanent – home in that facility just north of the river. For more information, call 974-7829.

Zilker Theater Productions is raring to help the next generation of singers and hoofers prepare for their debut on the Hillside. So it's launching the Zilker Academy at Footworks, a fine-arts program for youth with classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, creative drama, audition techniques, musical theatre, voice, acting, improvisation, and more, at the Footworks Dance Center, 7010 Hwy. 71 W. #120. Get the full scoop at an open house this Saturday, Aug. 21, 2-6pm. Tour studios, meet faculty, see students and instructors perform, or just play in the costume trunk and sing karaoke. For more information, call 288-9577 or visit www.footworksdance.com.

Help Hyde Park Theatre by spending a "Midsummer's Night" in Italy. Mirabelle Restaurant is offering a sumptuous evening of Italian cuisine to benefit the acclaimed independent theatre. The specially created five-course menu includes Seared Cod With a Fricassee of Mussels, Clams, and Pancetta With Parsley Oil; Green Fazzoleti With Boar Sausage Ragu; Tuscan Lamb Loin With Black Olive Panzanella; Pineapple Polenta Upside Down Cake With Limon Cello Ice Cream, and enough vino to fill an aqueduct. You can suffer through that for Ken Webster's sake, can'tcha? The event takes place Thursday, Aug. 26, 7pm, at Mirabelle, 8127 Mesa. Seating is limited, so call 479-7529 now.

Life After Flaming Idiocy Department: Proving that one can be taken seriously as an actor even after 20 years of making sandwiches with one's feet, Rob Williams – better known as Gyro of the Flaming Idiots, the longtime comedy troupe that hung up its torches earlier this year – will join the cast of the Zachary Scott Theatre Center production of House Arrest this weekend only. He'll be playing President Bill Clinton, filmmaker Ken Burns, and all the other roles regularly played by Martin Burke, who's out of town on a family matter. Burke will return to the cast Aug. 26 for the remainder of the run. For more information, call 476-0541.